Timothy Dunleavy

Timothy Dunleavy, visionary preservationist and designer, of Hudson, New York, died on December 3rd in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 60 years old.

Born February 24, 1954 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Timothy studied costume design at the North Carolina School of the Arts.

After college he moved to New York City where in 1980 his costumes for "The Barbie Fashion Show" caught the attention of The New Yorker's "Talk of the Town." In years following, he designed children's dresses, examples of which are in the permanent collection at the Metropolitan Museum. Under his own label, he designed for leading Seventh Avenue companies, costumes for off- Broadway shows, wedding dresses for friends and clients and Academy Award and Golden Globe gowns for actress Joan Allen.

In the early 1990s, he bought and restored a Greek revival farmhouse in Ancram, New York. His passionate belief in the redemptive power of beauty and classical ideals led him to create Rural Residence in 1999, a distinctive home furnishings store. The shop was cited in magazines such as Elle Décor, World of Interiors and Martha Stewart Living.

His interest in 19th century Hudson Valley architecture inspired him to co-found Historic Hudson, initially to preserve the 1800s Plumb-Bronson house. Their preservation efforts resulted in the site being designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003.

Timothy is survived by his mother Betty Dunleavy of Spartanburg, SC, his sister Shawna Dickenson of Roswell, GA and brothers Raymond Dunleavy III of Spartanburg and Kevin Dunleavy of Nashville, TN as well as ten nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father, Raymond Dunleavy, Jr, a sister, Patricia Dunleavy and a brother, Keith Dunleavy.

A memorial will be held in his honor in the Spring 2015 at the Plumb-Bronson House in Hudson, New York; in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Historic Hudson in Timothy’s name. (Historic Hudson, 552 Warren Street, Hudson, New York 12534, Phone 518.828.1785)